6 Ways Beauty Can Help With Your Winter Blues

Pamper and prevail.

Look, it’s not like winter is totally horrible. There are plenty of cozy snowflake-y aspects to cherish from a “wow, isn’t nature so calm and peaceful” angle. But then the sun stays lazy for four to six months and things get sad pretty steadily. But like all temporary and non-urgent matters of distress, beauty often comes to the rescue again and again. Seems simple, but randomly scoring the perfect new nail color at the drugstore can be a euphoria you weren’t expecting, turning a mundane errand run into a small beauty triumph. You don’t necessarily have to buy more stuff to be happy though. Taking care of yourself has proven to be an excellent way to improve overall mood and viewpoint. Yep, even when there’s less and less natural light to take perfect selfies with. If you’re constantly feeling bummed out from early sunsets and frigid hermitude...

Get Up to Groom

So often we set our alarms to wake up in just enough time to throw together a serviceable outfit and slap on some makeup to make it out the door in time… and then probably spend the commute fixing and preening some more. Getting that extra 15-30 minutes of sleep feels crucial, but giving yourself enough time to mentally wake up and dedicate some time to run through a skincare routine and makeup look will have you out the door all like Bey.

Keep Your _ Fly

You definitely have ONE groom-able trait that despite all odds shines on like there’s no tomorrow. Maybe you’ve grown up with everyone telling you that you have naturally gorgeous hair or that you should be a hand model. Keeping what you’re already proud of looking blindingly gorgeous means you don’t have to spend time micro-managing your lashes/contour/flaky toes/whatever. Who will even be looking at those once you flash your fresh mani anyway?

Take Care of That Thing You Keep Saying You’ll Get Around To

You keep telling yourself “I’ll get a trim later!” or “I’ll wait to get my roots touched up before such-and-such event!” Except your hair is still there, reaping the neglect and rooty growth of time. Putting things off may clear your mind in the moment, but it doesn’t go away fully, looming over all your to-dos. Getting something taken care of that you’ve been procrastinating on (for probably no good reason) is not only a simple fix, it’s a way to feel refreshed and renewed just by doing something you were going to do anyway.

Get Pampered

To that end, spending a little dough on having a professional groom you does make us feel 100% better in the little time it takes for a mani/pedi, blow-out, or facial — if you’re feeling fancy. With blow-dry bars and salons becoming more and more geared toward giving customers a top-notch experience, a simple trip to get your nails done can feel so much more luxurious, like an express spa trip. Also, a good blow-out looks great for DAYS, so you can carry on long after a particularly glum day. You may be stuck in a winter blunderland, but at least your hair will look good.

Refresh Old/Expired Beauty Products

We are all a little guilty of keeping a few beloved beauty products just a bit past “ripeness” so to speak. And for the most part, nothing disastrous happens (but seriously, cut it out). What better time/excuse to refresh your eight-month-old tube of mascara, or your foundation that looks more like a lava lamp than makeup? It’ll be pretty steep to replace everything at once, but start with products you use most often — swapping with a fresh one is not only safe and hygienic, we can’t deny that it doesn’t feel pretty glamorously grown-up. s

Makeover Time!

There is no better movie montage than a makeover montage. Possibly one that involves athletic training, but let’s be real — running up the stairs of Philadelphia’s Museum of Art is no comparison to a fresh chop or hair color. Be adventurous and get a look that you’ve been thinking of this whole time, like “I know I’d look really good as a blonde” or “short hair would really complement my bone structure.” It doesn’t even have to be that huge, but stepping out of your beauty comfort zone will not only stretch those makeup muscles, but taking control of your look to reflect how you’re feeling or how you want to feel is a worthwhile way to get you stoked on you, even if there isn’t a whole lot that can be done about things like daylight savings time.